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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559624">oh, simple thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock'>atlantisairlock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Military Wives (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst and Drama, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Married Couple, Married Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:15:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate and Lisa fight and make up. </p><p>Set in the 'Red and Richard are KIA and Kate and Lisa move in together' AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kate Barkley/Lisa Lawson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>oh, simple thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ensorcel/gifts">ensorcel</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27103504">if you're lost, you can look (you will find me)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock">atlantisairlock</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yet another instalment in the self-indulgent 'red and richard die' au... </p><p>title from 'somewhere only we know' by keane.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Like most of the fights they have, it starts with something really trivial and really stupid.</p><p>Today Kate's annoyed at her because she went off-piste during a practice and the choir ended up spending ten minutes jamming out to Rihanna instead of practicing their song; Lisa's pretty sure if they'd drilled Home Thoughts From Abroad one more time that afternoon the women might have rioted. It's been a year and a half since the performance at the Albert Hall and Kate's been a lot better about leading the choir than she was back at the very start, but she's still definitely the stricter and more disciplined of them two, and she still gets anxious whenever they're closing in on a performance. Ever since the Albert Hall, they've been invited to perform at more venues, more festivals; they've even been asked to talk to the women in other garrisons to give tips on starting up their own choirs. It's surreal and amazing and Kate has, quite predictably, thrown herself into it with the single-minded, dedicated focus she gives everything else in her life. Lisa's proud of them, and she loves Kate for it, but sometimes it's hard to get her to just... relax.</p><p>"We're a week from the performance, we can't have them fooling about now," Kate tells her, hanging her coat up as Lisa shuts the front door behind her and sighs. "We sang a Rihanna song or two for <em>ten minutes</em>, Kate, we didn't all go out and get pissed. Hell, it was technically still practice." She catches Kate by the waist and pulls her in so they're facing each other, free hand reaching for Kate's and tangling their fingers together, feeling the familiar band on her ring finger against her skin. "Come on. We've been a proper choir for almost two years, not two <em>months</em>. Home Thoughts From Abroad is <em>our</em> song; I think most of them can sing it in their sleep. We don't need to drill it ten times in a practice to do it well."</p><p>Kate snorts, her eyes flashing as she tugs her hand sharply out of Lisa's and heads to the kitchen to pour herself some tea. "This is what I can't stand about you sometimes. We can't afford to be <em>complacent</em>, Lisa. We're not the only military wives' choir in the country any more, but we were the first, and that means something. We have to set a standard, and that means we can't slip and falter - do you know how embarrassing that would be?"</p><p>"Right," Lisa snaps back, feeling her temper begin to rise. "I'm sorry, I forgot how much of an <em>embarrassment</em> I was to you because I've got a sense of fun and you think enjoying oneself is an unholy sin or something."</p><p>"That's <em>not</em> what I said and you know it."</p><p>"Oh, I know what you said. Something about not being able to 'stand me'." She's tired from the practice, tired and hungry after walking home in the cold, and she doesn't have all that much patience with Kate when she gets like this over the choir. "If I'm such a terrible influence on the choir when I'm just trying to<em> raise morale</em> while <em>still</em> having them practice, why don't you just oust me and do it yourself, then? You certainly wanted to at the beginning."</p><p>"Don't be so damn childish," Kate retorts, putting the kettle back down with more force than Lisa imagines is strictly necessary. "I'm just saying we need to keep them focused and in the right headspace right now. This isn't a game; you know that better than anyone. They just need one bad practice or one bad performance and then we could see a repeat of the market performance all over again. Is that what you want?"</p><p>Lisa rolls her eyes. "We're never going to fuck up as badly as we did at the market. Don't be ridiculous."</p><p>"See - <em>see</em>, there you go again, being - you're just complacent, Lisa, that's your problem, you think just because everything has been going well that we can just afford to slack off and - "</p><p>"It's not slacking off, for fuck's sake, they were still <em>singing</em> - "</p><p>"Singing <em>Rihanna</em> is not adequate practice for performing three songs in an actual concert hall - and that's not my point, my point is that you're still acting as if this isn't serious, like you always do with <em>everything</em> - "</p><p>Lisa can feel something clicking off inside her, anger and frustration and fatigue mingling together and rising up and up, poisoning her words, forking her tongue, making her cruel, saying things she thinks at her worst and hates herself for. "If I'm so fucking <em>complacent</em> and <em>childish</em> and I never<em> take anything seriously </em>and you hate that so much, then why the fuck did you marry me?"</p><p>Kate goes completely still, her mug of tea halfway to her lips. She's shaking when she sets it back down. "Lisa," she starts, but the words just keep tumbling out of her mouth, too far gone to stop, and Lisa's suddenly so furious she can barely hear what she's saying. "You knew what you signed up for when <em>you</em> proposed to me, which was <em>your</em> bloody idea. If I'm such a fucking disappointment to you then why the fuck did you bother? Sometimes I regret saying yes to you, Kate! Sometimes I regret marrying you, and honestly, if Red had come home from war I never fucking would have!"</p><p>She shouts the last sentence, loud and terrible, and it echoes in the sudden silence of their home. Kate doesn't react for a second, just standing by the kitchen counter staring back, frozen, and for a moment Lisa just breathes hard, trying to temper her rage; she can barely see straight. The air in the house seems unbearably heavy, unbreathable. She turns to get her coat again. "I'm going for a walk," she snaps, and slams the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To nobody's surprise, especially her own, she regrets absolutely everything that came out of her mouth five steps from their front gate. Lisa takes rapid steps down the pavement, around their block, hands shoved deep in her coat pockets as the molten fury in her veins starts dissipating, giving way to guilt and shame and horror. Kate's face swims hazily in front of her eyes, the shock and hurt written all over it as Lisa'd stormed out of the house. It makes her wince.</p><p>"Fucking idiot," she mutters to herself, feeling a throbbing pain in her temples. God, she's such a fucking arsehole with a horrible hold over her temper. She can't believe she just basically threw the kind of tantrum Frankie would have when she was five or something. She stops by a bench once she’s tired of walking and drops down into it, lighting a cigarette and putting it to her lips. Each inhale makes her feel calmer, but it also makes her clearer recall all the awful shit she said to Kate that makes her sick with herself.</p><p>They've been married four months now and it's the happiest Lisa's been in so long. She cried like a fucking baby when Kate got down on one knee in the middle of their living room, said yes even before Kate could finish asking her. She wakes up every day beside Kate and she's in awe she gets the privilege to do that. She'd never want anything different. Even at her angriest, Lisa loves her so much, would do anything under heaven for her. All of that is true, only now she's gone and fucked up and said the cruelest thing she can imagine to Kate.</p><p>Kate's been angry at her before. Kate's said cutting, sharp things to her before, but never like this. Not once has she ever even insinuated she'd be happier without Lisa by her side. Not once has she looked Lisa in the face and wished she didn't have Lisa's ring on her finger. Kate's ring catches the dim light now, a mocking reminder of how badly she's screwed up today. Lisa sighs and disposes of her cigarette, getting up and heading in the direction of home. All her anger has faded and now she just feels stupid and small. She just needs to get home, apologise profusely to Kate, and then probably spend the night on the couch. Maybe Kate will forgive her come morning.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Frankie’s sitting on the stairs, facing the front door, when Lisa sneaks back in as quietly as she can. She doesn’t scream, but it’s an effort. “What are you <em>doing </em>there?”</p><p>Frankie just arches an eyebrow, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “Was talking to Kate while you were out smoking. Because you’re a little stupid, Mum.”</p><p>“I wasn’t - “ Frankie raises her other eyebrow, and Lisa sighs. “I didn’t <em>just </em>go out for a smoke. I needed some space.”</p><p>“Space. After telling Kate you wish you hadn’t married her.”</p><p>Lisa doesn’t hide her wince then. “You heard that?”</p><p>“If I hadn’t, I would have when I found Kate crying in your room,” says Frankie. Her voice drips with derision, but beneath it, Lisa can hear a current of uncertainty and fear. She keeps her gaze locked on Lisa’s, eyes narrowed. Lisa knows Frankie’s found happiness and stability in their home, Kate almost as much a guardian and parent to her as Lisa is now. She’s already lost her dad. The thought of losing Kate to Lisa’s folly must be a terrible one too.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Lisa says, after a moment. “I didn’t mean any of the shit I said. I just… got angry, and I - “</p><p>“I’m not the one you should be saying all that to,” Frankie interrupts, though Lisa sees her relax in some relief. “Go say sorry to Kate.”</p><p>Lisa swallows nervously, looking past Frankie up the stairs to where she knows their room is. “I don’t know if she’ll even talk to me.”</p><p>Frankie just snorts, shooting her a smirk; Lisa wonders when she got to be so smart and insightful alongside her snark. “Night, Mum.”</p><p>Lisa kisses her on the forehead and watches her hop to her feet and pad upstairs, then goes into the kitchen to make Kate more tea.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kate’s mug from an hour ago is still by her elbow on the desk when Lisa enters their room, cold and untouched. She doesn’t look up when Lisa shuts the door, or when she calls her name. She’s looking through a large book of some sort at their desk, back to Lisa, but she doesn’t tell Lisa to go away when she crosses the room to set the fresh mug of tea down.</p><p>On closer inspection Lisa realises she’s not flipping through a book, but a photo album. Her heart seizes when she sees which album it is - the one filled with their wedding pictures, the one Kate’d insisted they print and organise even though they hadn’t had anything by way of a fancy ceremony in the least. Just a simple ceremony at the nearest register office, Frankie and Sarah and Crooks as their witnesses, then a reception at the bar in town which devolved into a <em>lot </em>of drunken karaoke as the night wore on. Half the album is filled with Frankie’s terrible candids of Maz leading Jess, Annie, Helen and Ruby on stage in an awful rendition of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, and the rest of the choir raising glasses of various drinks singing along at the tops of their voices. Kate lingers on two of the pages with the best pictures, the actually lovely ones they took outside the register office - Kate in an elegant white dress that’d taken Lisa’s breath away when she’d set eyes on her that morning. Most of those are posed, for posterity, but her favourite picture’s always been the one Sarah snapped of her carrying Kate out of the building. She’d been so happy that morning, almost deliriously so, unable to stop smiling after the ceremony - had scooped Kate into her arms without thinking about it, delighting in the surprised, ecstatic sound she’d made, and carried her to the car, where Crooks would drive them all home.</p><p>She’d been so happy that day. She’s never, ever stopped being that happy - with Kate. She just needs to stop ever forgetting that, even when she’s upset or angry.</p><p>“I married you because you’re brilliant,” Kate says, suddenly, breaking the silence and making Lisa start. “You’re intelligent and dedicated and loyal and talented and you challenge me when I’m wrong. I trust you and I love you.” Her voice wavers, a little hoarse, like she’s been crying, like Lisa knows she was. “I’m sorry I said you were complacent and childish. You lead the choir so well, and you were right about today.”</p><p>“Kate,” Lisa says, and can’t continue, her throat choked with the apologies she wants to say and the tears she wants to cry. Kate finally looks up at her, and Lisa feels the guilt churning her stomach at Kate’s bright eyes, a little wet. “Do you really regret marrying me?”</p><p>Lisa kisses her first, before replying, just to feel Kate melt familiarly into it. “I could <em>never </em>regret marrying you,” she says softly. “Kate. I’m sorry I said that. I shouldn’t have, it was - I didn’t mean it, and I hurt you, and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She touches her forehead to Kate’s, hears her sharp, pained inhale of breath. “Sometimes I get scared. You’re just so - sometimes I feel like you’re too good for me, you could probably run the whole choir on your own if you had to. I don’t regret marrying you, Kate, I just - sometimes think you do.”</p><p>The look Kate gives her is nothing short of devastated. “You think I regret marrying you?”</p><p>“No,” Lisa says, if only because seeing Kate’s expression makes her heart break all over again. “No - I - I don’t know.” Despite the months that have passed, some days it still feels hard to shake off those memories from the beginning, the first shaky steps the choir took, when she and Kate were always clashing with every decision they attempted to make together. Kate thought herself too good for Lisa once, and sometimes, watching Kate conduct the choir and organise their performances and build them an excellent public reputation, Lisa wonders if she still isn’t.</p><p>Kate takes her hand, runs her thumb over the cool metal of her ring, the same one she slid on Lisa’s finger after Lisa said yes. “Do you remember when I proposed to you?” Lisa nods, and Kate smiles, though it wavers a little. “Do you know why I chose that day?”</p><p>“No,” Lisa replies quietly; she honestly doesn’t remember much about that night except breaking down in a flood of tears when Kate asked her for her hand and Frankie’s happy laughter and good-natured teasing when she hugged Lisa while she was still bawling like a fucking idiot. Kate doesn’t let go of her hand. “Two nights before that, you played the piano for us after dinner - you played Somewhere Only We Know, and you were singing along to it, and you looked at me while singing the chorus and then you messed up the last few chords and you laughed and I knew.” Kate grins and it’s shy, nostalgic, happy. “I went out to buy a ring the next day.”</p><p>Lisa can’t help but laugh a little. <em>“That’s </em>when you knew? Because I screwed up playing Somewhere Only We Know?”</p><p>“Yes,” says Kate. “Because I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life listening to you screw up playing songs on our piano and laughing about it and that wouldn’t change.”</p><p>An undignified snort bubbles past Lisa’s lips. “Wow. I’m flattered you think I’m going to spend the rest of my life screwing up songs on our piano, darling.”</p><p>“You know what I mean,” says Kate, laughing now along with Lisa, who pushes her hair back behind her ear and kisses her cheek. “I’m really sorry, Kate. For <em>everything </em>I said to you just now. I count myself lucky every day that I get to call you my wife, it’s just that sometimes I’m - Frankie called me a little stupid, and she was right.”</p><p>Kate smiles at her, the same soft smile Lisa wakes up to every morning and is damn glad she has the privilege to. “I love you.” She gives Lisa another kiss, one that lingers against the edge of her mouth, sweet. “Take me to bed?”</p><p>Lisa shoots a sidelong glance at the two mugs of tea on the desk. “Aren’t you going to at least sip the tea I made for you?”</p><p>Kate nods meaningfully at the other mug of tea, freezing cold at this point. “I can’t finish <em>two </em>mugs of tea, this late at night.”</p><p>Lisa sighs, putting on an aggrieved look that makes Kate grin, and obediently takes the mug that’s been left out for an hour; it tastes like shit but she drinks it all anyway. “The things I do for love,” she quips, which makes Kate laugh again as they both creep quietly downstairs to wash the mugs, making sure not to wake Frankie. Kate’s shoulders bump Lisa’s as they stand over the sink in companionable silence, and Lisa thinks she knows what Kate means. It’s not any ridiculous big gestures or fanciful declarations that make her sure that she wants to stay true to Kate for the rest of her life. Just quiet moments on ordinary nights like this one, washing dishes together, knowing they’ll go to sleep in the same bed and wake up in each other’s arms too.</p><p>“I was looking at our wedding pictures just now,” Kate murmurs, resting the mugs neatly on the drying rack. “I’d like to properly frame my favourite in our room. The one where you’re carrying me.”</p><p>“That’s my favourite too,” Lisa smiles. A sudden impulse overtakes her; she catches Kate by the waist as she heads towards the stairs and hooks her arm under Kate’s knees, hoisting her up. Kate lets out a shocked squeal of laughter, obligingly sliding her arms around Lisa’s neck to keep herself steady. “Lisa! What are you doing?”</p><p>Lisa leans in for a quick kiss. “Taking you to bed, like you asked.”</p><p>Kate rests her head against Lisa’s shoulder, a warm weight that Lisa would willingly carry forever. Lisa takes her up the stairs, step by slow step, until they reach the room and the bed that they share. Right before she sets Kate down, Kate clings a little tighter, raising her head to meet Lisa’s eyes with a soft, sleepy smile that tells Lisa she already knows the answer to the question she’s going to ask, just wants to hear it in Lisa’s voice. “Would you say yes, if I asked you to marry me again?”</p><p>“Always.” She sets Kate gently down, goes over to the other side of the bed to slip in beside her. “I love you. Good night. Sleep well.”</p><p>“See you in the morning,” Kate hums drowsily. Lisa wraps her arms around her wife, listens to her breathing ease, and sleeps.</p>
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